A belt molding is disposed on an upper edge of an outer panel of a vehicular door including a glass G (a window glass) that rises and lowers with a regulator between the upper edge of the outer panel and an upper edge of an inner panel.
One example of this belt molding includes a belt molding having a configuration illustrated in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a typical belt molding.
In the drawing, a belt molding 1 includes a molding main body 3. This molding main body 3 is installed on the upper edge of the outer panel and has a cross-sectional surface in an approximately U-shape.
A designing lip 5 is formed in a side portion of the molding main body 3. The designing lip 5 has a surface 5a that continues to a surface 3a, which is exposed outside the vehicle, of the molding main body 3.
Below the designing lip 5, an upper protrusion 7 and an upper seal lip 9 are formed. This upper seal lip 9 is formed below the upper protrusion 7 and is capable of being in contact with the upper protrusion 7 by being slidably in contact with the glass G, which rises and lowers, and elastically deforming.
Furthermore, a lower protrusion 11 and a lower seal lip 13 are formed in the side portion of the molding main body 3 and below the upper seal lip 9. This lower seal lip 13 is formed below the lower protrusion 11 and is elastically deformable in a direction of the upper protrusion 7.
Generally, the glass G curves in a vehicle-width direction. On the other hand, the regulator causes the glass G to rise and lower approximately linearly. Accordingly, when the glass G of the door is in a fully-closed state and furthermore, the glass G is pressed against a weather strip disposed in a door sash, the glass G slightly moves in a direction outside the vehicle (an arrow OUT direction in the drawing) in the vehicle-width direction of the vehicle.
The upper seal lip 9 is configured so as to be in contact with the upper protrusion 7 when the glass G is in the fully-closed state and moves in the arrow OUT direction and not to be in contact with the upper protrusion 7 when the glass G is in a state other than the fully-closed. This is because if the upper seal lip 9 comes in contact with the upper protrusion 7 while the glass G is rising or lowering, the upper seal lip 9 cannot escape in a direction separating from the glass G and a sliding resistance between the upper seal lip 9 and the glass G becomes large.
The upper seal lip 9 coming in contact with the upper protrusion 7 when the glass G is fully-closed reduces an amount of rain water that remains on the upper seal lip 9. Furthermore, an amount of rain water entering inside the door is also reduced.
The belt molding 1 is made of, for example, a soft thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) except for a core material 13 that is obtained by molding a thin plate of stainless steel (see, for example, PATENT LITERATURE 1).